As I write this, The Avengers 2 rumour of the week is that Hawkeye, played by Jeremy Renner in the first movie, is going to be recast - and I couldnt be happier. Renner was such a flatliner in the Avengers movie that replacing him with someone who has charisma and presence is essential, especially now that Matt Fractions reinvention of the character has established Hawkeye as charming, funny and likeable, and brought him to readers attentions as a major character in his own right. Hawkeye, for those who dont know, is Clint Barton, a member of the Avengers, whose power is that hes very good with a bow and arrow, and that he uses a range of trick arrows to accomplish various tasks. Hes also skilled at martial arts but, like Black Widow, is essentially an Avengers team member who looks like an ordinary guy compared to colourful super-beings like Hulk, Thor, and Iron Man. The first thing that grabs your attention is the amazing cover by David Aja (pronounced a-ha), done in black and white with two shades of purple, which is incredibly stylish and good-looking. Aja is a revelation - he draws the first three issues of Hawkeye and every page looks ridiculously great. It doesnt look like a Marvel comic, it looks like something Image or Vertigo would put out, its definitely not the kind of art youd normally see in a mainstream superhero book. Reading Hawkeye, Volume 1: My Life As A Weapon is an eye-opening experience - where has this Hawkeye been and why are we only now discovering him? Fraction writes Hawkeye in this light-hearted way where hes capable and deadly but also kinda goofy, a guileless clutz, and somewhat absent-minded and simple at times. In short, an ordinary guy with great talent who happens to be a member of Earths Mightiest Heroes. Clints such a charming character that if this version of Hawkeye had been in the Avengers movie, hed be the one everyone would be talking about after, rather than Hulk. The stories are episodic with each issue being its own self-contained arc. In the first issue Clint helps out the tenants in his building, wrestling control of it from the tracksuit mafia; in the second he and Kate Bishop (the Hawkeye from Young Avengers) take on some circus thieves; in the third, Clints outrunning gangsters while using his inventory of trick arrows. The only lengthy story is the two-part Tape storyline where a tape purportedly showing Hawkeye murdering people is up for sale at a supervillain auction.
But it isnt just the great characterisation, the amazing art, fantastic use of colour, and the plotting that make this such a brilliant comic - no, the inventive layouts also need to be mentioned. To illustrate just how fast Hawkeye is with his shooting, there are 14 mini-panels of Kate Bishop saying Well, thats cool, with a panel for each letter and the apostrophe showing Kates mouth as she forms the letters and in that time Hawkeyes fired three arrows at once, each one hitting a different part of the targets body. Later on when Clint and Kate are talking on the phone there are numerous small panels on a single page for their telephone exchange rather than one large page split down the middle with numerous word balloons. These ideas change how a comic is read and make it stand out for originality - moments like this are pure comics genius. It helps that Fraction has a background in design so that hes writing the comic with an eye to visual presentation which helps give this book such an impressive finish. Artist Javier Pulido draws the Tape two-parter and is as outstanding an artist as Aja though obviously with a different style. If Aja is a potent blend of Sean Phillips and Chris Ware with his own style mixed in, Pulido has an equally interesting mix of styles from Gilbert Hernandez to Eduardo Risso. Tape is definitely my favourite story of the book as Clint travels to Madripoor to bid on an incriminating tape where he is apparently shown killing people on it. The story is filled with great moments from his abduction by SHIELD from a rooftop neighbourhood barbeque, to pretending to be a taxi driver in Madripoor while of course not knowing the city at all, to evading ninjas while tied to a chair being flung out of the top floor of a skyscraper window, this story simply has it all - comedy, action, superheroic shenanigans, keistered secrets - and is a rip-roaring read from start to finish. The only weak point the book has is the Young Avengers issue at the end where Kate Bishop meets Hawkeye for the first time and they have an archery contest. Alan Davis art isnt bad its just very similar to any number of artists that draw superhero comics, and compared to Aja and Pulidos work is a bit dull, like the story itself - Im just not that much of a fan of the Young Avengers, a group of young people getting to know their powers, each other and their place in the world.
Otherwise, Hawkeye is a flawless comic and a complete joy to read. Its without question one of the finest, and definitely the most surprising, series Marvel are currently publishing. From Fractions nuanced approach to the character that has reinvigorated Hawkeye for a new generation, to the hugely talented artists Aja and Pulido who bring the stories to life, Hawkeye is an artistic triumph that every comics fan, whether you like superhero books or not, will enjoy reading.
Collecting Hawkeye #1-5 and Young Avengers Presents #6, Hawkeye, Volume 1: My Life As A Weapon by Matt Fraction, David Aja, Javier Pulido and Alan Davis, is out now in paperback at your local comics shop and online at Comixology and Marvel Unlimited